A Concurrent Resolution requesting the State Board of Education to
conduct a state-
wide study of blind pupils to assess the literacy skills and
reading speed levels of such

pupils and to implement a plan to remedy any deficits or
declinations therein.

WHEREAS, Literacy skills continue to
increase in importance and
relevance to employment security and to self sufficiency of Kansas
citizens
and are particularly important in insuring that the coming
generations of
Kansans who are blind or legally blind will be able to maintain
employ-
ment and self-sufficiency; and

WHEREAS, Over the past decade, increased
emphasis on main-
streaming and total inclusion has changed the manner and settings
in
which many legally and totally blind Kansas students are educated;
the
recently adopted reauthorization of the federal Individuals with
Disabil-
ities Education Act (IDEA) places an expanded emphasis on the
impor-
tance of Braille and literacy training for persons who are blind;
and

WHEREAS, Data available in Kansas
tracking the literacy levels of
blind students suggest that such literacy levels may be declining,
but the
data have not to date been collected across sufficient samples of
students
or through use of statistically valid procedures; advances in
assistive tech-
nology allowing computer text to be easily, promptly, and
efficiently trans-
lated into Braille, or into paperless Braille displayed on a
tactile computer
display, makes Braille a more practical form of literacy for
persons who
are blind than ever before; and

WHEREAS, It is essential for Kansas
educators to be aware of any
deficits or declining trends in literacy or Braille literacy of
blind Kansas
students in order that appropriate corrective actions can be
planned and
taken, but no systematic enforcement of the Kansas Braille Law has
been
implemented by the State Board of Education: Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of
Representatives of the State of Kansas,the Senate concurring therein: That the Legislature, in
recognition of
the facts contained in the preamble of this resolution, hereby
requests
the State Board of Education to conduct, or cause to be conducted,
a
state-wide study to assess the literacy and reading speed of blind
pupils
and legally blind pupils on a grade level basis; such study should
include
an assessment for each pupil as to whether the most effective and
appro-
priate communications media, such as Braille or large print, are
being
used; while any emotional, learning, mental, or physical
disabilities ex-
perienced by blind or legally blind students should be noted, it is
the
intent of this resolution that such multiply disabled blind
students be
included in the study herein requested; and

Be it further resolved: That by no
later than January 31, 2000, the
State Board of Education, having evaluated data from the study
requested
in the foregoing resolving clause, is urged to issue a plan with
specific
dated milestones for purposes of correcting any deficits or
declinations
in literacy or reading speed levels identified among blind Kansas
students
as compared with their grade level sighted peers; and

Be it further resolved: That the
Secretary of State is hereby directed
to transmit enrolled copies of this resolution to the State Board
of Edu-
cation and to the Commissioner of Education, 120 S.E. 10th
Avenue,
Topeka, Kansas 66612-1182.

Adopted by the House February 26, 1999.
Adopted by the Senate
March 30, 1999.